From: "James Wynn"
Subject: (urth) 5HoC + The Long Sun
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 11:16:23 -0600
I've been recently been re-reading the Fifth Head of Cerberus. I've been
intrigued by the number of parallels between it and The Long Sun/Short Sun.
I know this has been vaguely noted here before, but here's a starting list
of the particulars I've noticed. I'm not saying TFHoC is in TBotLS universe
(except the one which is Wolfe's mind) but that TBotLS, in a sense, the
story readdressed.
I suspect the reason David Hartwell suggested the title for "The Long Sun"
to be "Starcrosser's Landing" is that he saw the parallels as well.
1.
Spiral staircase in the library and "The Other Eye"
=
The Whorl and whorl imagery
Note: This similarity could have something to do with concurrent themes
relating to genetics, but of course, LS/SS also incorporate sun imagery and
the idea of a hopeless trap (hmmm... maybe some of this 'hopeless trap'
stuff in Fifth Head as well)
2.
The tall library itself so like a ship with a spiral staircase (a whorl) in
the center with a sunbeam "axis", and the book therein entitled "The Mile
Long Spaceship"
=
The league-upon-league-long spaceship named "The Whorl" with a beam of light
for an axis.
3.
Abos (aliens) have notably white skin (incidentally, has anyone already
pointed out that Phaedria also is noted for her white skin?)
=
Inhumi have such white skin that Quetzal must wear makeup to cover it.
4.
Aliens that cannot help imitating and taking on human identity.
5.
Mr. Million is a Ten Nine Unbound Simulator
=
Chems are also "unbound" simulators (OK I know this one is weak, but....)
6.
Mr. Million's face is the scanned image and mind of a man long dead. He is,
in a sense (as are all the heirs of Cave Canem), a ghost. =
He is basically a walking Sacred Window, an interface to the "god" of Cave
Canem.
7.
The dead influencing/dominating the living (Persephone-like).
In the Whorl and Cave Canem are ruled by such "dead men." This is especially
true if one believes as I do that Mr. Million is the one running things and
that Maitre and #5 are simultaneously the subjects of **his** experiment.
8.
Heavily founded on themes and concepts of imitation and identity.
9.
Intelligent Trees
10.
Twin planets that are green and blue
(twin planets are a natural motif for the shared themes of imitation and
identity but why green and blue?)
11.
Cave Canem, a whorehouse whose nickname means 'Beware of the Dog' and run by
a 'pack' of Wolfs
=
Orchid's in a city built over a labyrinth filled with vicious dog-monsters
that are identified by the soldiers as the 'real' gods of the Whorl.
12.
An undercurrent theme from the book of Revelation.
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